Apparatus for spraying and casing wells



July 9, 1940. E. R. CAMERON, SR'v 2,207,478

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING AND CASING WELLS Filed Dec. 30, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 9, 1940. E. R. CAMERON, sR

APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING AND CASING WELLS Filed Dec. 50, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED s'rmi-:sl

PATE

APPARATUS lFOR SPRAYING AND CASING WELLS Earl Russell Cameron, Sr., Charleston, W. Va.

Application December 30, 1936, Serial No. 118,353

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for spraying the sides of a hole or well, more particularly to apparatus for spraying the sides of the hole or well with a quick setting 5 cement cream.

The present invention is an improvement over the apparatus shown in thepatent to Hinderlite No. 1,858,501, dated May 17, 1932.

One object of the present invention is to pro- .10 vide apparatus for spraying the sides of an uncased hole or well with a quick setting cement` cream.

Another object of my invention is-to provide apparatus for repairing a break or a hole in a 15 well casing.

Still another object of my invention is to pro- .vide apparatus for spraying water or other liquid on the sides of the hole of a well.

A further object of 'my invention is to provide apparatus for spraying the sides of the hole of a well at any predetermined depth.

A further object of my invention is to provide apparatus for the lowering of a batch of quick setting cement cream, or other liquid,

into a wc11,'and spraying the cement cream or other liquid against the sides of the hole at any desired or predetermined depth.

One of the important advantages of the present invention over the prior art is that after .30 the spray apparatus is lowered into the well, to

a'depth perhaps of several thousand feet, and

the parts caused to move to the spraying or discharging position, as will be described, the parts are latched or locked in the discharging position,

whereby the apparatus canbe raised and lowered repeatedly in the hole for spraying the cement cream onto the walls thereof for a substantial distance up anddown the hole. By this repeated spraying an eiective interior shell or wall 40 of solidified cement is formed, thus eliminating the necessity of placing a metallic casing in the well, and thereby eiecting a saving of many thousands of dollars.

It has been found in practice lin drilling oil or gas wells, in the territory east of the Mississippi River in the United States, and especially in the West Virginia iields, that after a depth of about 2,500 feet has been reached, and the last producing sand at about this depth passed, a.. further depth of about 2,500 feet must be drilled to reachU what is known as the Oriskany sand, usually reached at a depth of about 5,000 feet. This last 2,500 feet before the Oriskanyf sand is reached has-been found to consist usually of iine,dry, crumbly earth, or the like, which keeps (o1. 16s-p19) continually falling in the hole as the drilling progresses, and interferes very seriously with the drilling of the well. By the use of my improved apparatus and method, after drilling 50 or 100 q feet, or any desired distance, even as far as the l Oriskany sand, the drill is withdrawn from the hole and the quick setting cement cream sprayed against thetsides ofthe hole for any suitable distance, the spraying being repeated as many times as necessary or required to form an effective 1 casing or interior shell of cement. Drilling may then be resumed through the casing thus formed, and the operations repeated.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that the casing of the well with metallic casing is u avoided, thus eliminating the expense of runningV the metallic casing for approximately 5,000 feet, or more. Actual tests in the West Virginia fields show a saving of approximately $5,000.00 on each well drilled by using my improved apparatus and method as above explained.

Another important advantage of the invention is that means is provided for preventing the cement or cement cream from falling down to the bottom of the hole where it probably would have 25 to be drilled out, and from falling onto and .perhaps fouling the anchor at the bottom of the apparatus that is used in a device of this sort.

Still another important advantage over the prior art is that a minimum amount of the apparatus is exposed to the cement. With some devices of the prior art, the moving parts be,- come so covered with cement that it is very dimcult to clean them, a sledge-hammer sometimes being necessary, especially in case a quick 35 setting cement is used; the use of a quick setting cement is usually desirable in operations of the character herein involved.

Further advantages of construction and operation will be apparent from the accompanying 40 drawings, illustrating in detail the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of the spray apparatus of my invention; 45

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower portion of my spray apparatus in loaded position, in an uncased well:

Fig. 3 is a cross Section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig.`4 is a cross section taken on the line l--l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower portion of my spray ap-4 paratus, in unloaded position, in a cased well; 55

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of themovable piston and cooperating parts of my spray apparatus; and

Fig. 'l is a cross section taken on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, illustrating the resent preferred embodiment of the invention,

in which similar reference characters represent' `similar parts, the numeral designatesgenand 5. The cement holding tube 24 may comprise a plurality of sections of standard pipe, coupled together by means of coupling collars 28 as shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of the tube 24 is provided with a supporting stirrup 30, to which may be affixed a cable or line 3l, for lowering and raising the entire apparatus in the well.

The lower end of the cylinder 20 is threadedly engaged with a cylindrical block 32, the lower end 34 of which is reduced in diameter, and this reduced portion is provided with an annular groove or recess 36, adapted to receive a. washer or sleeve 38, of rubber, leather, or other suitable material, to protect the piston rod trip or brake 40 from the sprayed material, and to prevent thismaterial from falling further down the hole.

The lower end of the tube 24 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 20, and is held against ,rotation therein by threaded studs 42, engaging with the vertical keyways 44, formed in the tube 24.

The lower end 43 of tube 24 is enlarged and provides a shoulder which engages with a corresponding overhanging shoulder formed of the thickened annular portion 45 at the upper end of tube 20.

Near the lower end of the cylinder 20, and

spaced therearound at desired intervals, is a plurality of openings 46, conveniently I0 or I2 in number, of any desired size and shape, but preferably round, and about one-half inch in diameter.

The lower end of the tube 24 is provided with a closure block 48. Just above the block 48, near the lower end of the tube 24, and spaced therearound at desired intervals, is a plurality of discharge openings 50, adapted to register with discharge openings 46. These openings 50 are preferably round and slightly larger than the openings 46, with which openings they will be aligned when the tube 24 slides down inside the cylinder 20, into discharging position, as will be described more in detail below.

The upper surface o f block 46 slopes toward the discharge holes 50, the bottom of the holes being flush with this upper surface. A piston 54 is slidably mounted in the block 32, at the lower end of the tube 20. This piston is provided at its upper end with a conical head 56. Just below this head 56 is an enlarged portion or collar 58, to restrict the downward movement of the piston, by engaging with the bottom wall of recess 51 in block 32,.

The lower end of piston 54 is threadedly engaged with the lower end of the pisto'n rod trip 40 by means of nuts 60: Pvoted in a recess in piston 54 by means of a pin 62 is a latch 64.

This latch 64 is held flush with the surface of the piston when the cylinder is in loaded condition, as shown in Fig. 2. When the piston moves to the unloading position, as in Fig. 5, the upper end of the latch 64 is forced outwardly by a coiled spring 66, and engages against the underside of 34 and prevents the piston from returning to the upper position.

Oppositely disposed within the block 48 are two recesses, adapted to receive latching lugs 68. These lugs are pulled inwardly by hook members 10, the curved portions of which are actuated by the camming action of the conical head of the piston 56, when the device is in the loaded position. Springs 'l2 around the shank portions of hooks 10, tend to force the latching lugs 68 outwardly. When the block 48 moves to the unloading position, Fig. 5, these lugs 68 are forced outwardly by springs 'I2 into recesses 14 in cylinder 20, thus holding the parts in unloading or discharging postion, in which position the discharge openings 46 and 50 are in registry..

Recesses 14 are made by boring through the casing, and then covering the holes by countersunk disks or a countersunk band of thin, strong sheet metal 15.

The operation of my device will now be explained in connection with the use of a quick setting cement cream, it being understood, however, that the apparatus may spray water or other liquids equally as well, and is not to be limited to cement cream alone. The depth in the hole at which the spray is to be used having been determined, the apparatus is assembled,

. loaded with cement cream and lowered into the hole to the proper depth. 'I'he movable parts are held in loaded position during this initial lowering, as in Fig. 2, by the force of gravity, and by reason of the fact that the piston 54 is forced to and maintained in its uppermost position by means of the frictional engagement of the piston rod trip 40 with the side of the hole.

yWhen the apparatus is lowered to the desired depth, the downward movement is stopped and the apparatus raised a few inches, or possibly a foot or so, by m'eans of the cable, whereupon the grip of the piston rod trip 40 against the side of the hole holds the rod; the raising of the device therefore causes the rod 54 to move to the lower posit-ion, as in Fig. 5, Where it is held by latch 64 until reset by hand after the apparatus has been withdrawn from the well. 'Ihe tension on the cable is now slightly relaxed, whereupon the tubev 24 slides by gravity down inside the spray cylinder 20, being held in alignment by the studs 42 operating in the vertical key-ways 44. When the tube 24 reaches its lower position in the cylinder 20, the lugs 68 are forced outwardly by the springs 'l2 into the recesses 14, thus firmly holding the partsV in the unloading position: the openings 46 and 50 are now in alignment. and the cement cream sprays outwardly, substantially radially in all directions by force of gravity, through all the discharge openings against the sides of the hole, all the way around the hole, thus cementing cavities in the hole, etc. The apparatus may be raised and lowered during this spraying operation, for covering a substantially vertical expanse of the weil at each spraying operation, thus forming, when the cement hardens, an interior shell of cement, extending for a substantial distance vertically of the weil. If, as often happens, there are a num-- ber of cavities to be filled, the lowermost one may be cemented first, then the apparatus raised to the next cavity, and so on until all the cement cream has been sprayed from the apparatus. The apparatus is then withdrawn from the well for reloading, repeating the operation, if desired; It is understood, of course, that the cement cream must all be sprayed vfrom the apparatus before the cement hardens.

By reason of the fact that the block 48 is latched in the discharging position, the device may be moved up and down the hole, applying the cement as desired.

After all the material has been sprayed, and the apparatus withdrawn from the well, the trip 64 is depressed by hand and the piston 54 returned to the loaded position. As the piston 54 returns to the loaded position, the rounded head 56 thereof engages the curved portions of the latches 10, pulling them inwardly, and thus disengaging the lugs 68 from the recesses 14, whereupon the parts, by force of gravity, return to the loaded position, and the apparatus is ready to be relled.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes or modifications may be made in the invention which has been described without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for spraying the sides of a well with a quick setting cement cream or the like, comprising in combination, a pair of telescoping members forming a receptacle for the' fluent material with which the sides of the well are to be coated, said telescoping members havj ing cooperating radially disposed, spray discharge apertures adapted to come into and out of registry, latching means carried by the telescoping members for securing them in discharging position, with said radially disposed, spray discharge apertures in registry, and piston means, Drovided at its lower portion with a friction device which slidably and frictionally engages the sides of the Well, for exerting a retarding force on the upper of said telescoping members, said piston being vertically slidable, with respect to said lower telescoping member, and also being engageable with said latching means for holding the same in inoperative position during the lowering of the apparatus into the Well, and means for latching said piston in its lowermost position, the said spray discharge apertures being of restricted diameter, whereby, as the apparatus is raised or lowered after the spray discharge apertures have been brought into registry and the spraying started, a substantial vertical expanse of the interior of the Well can be completely coated with the cement cream, to form a vertically extending interior shell of solid cement.

2. An apparatus for spraying the sides of a well with a quick setting cement cream or the like, comprising in combination, a pair of telescoping members forming a receptacle for the fluent material with which the sides of the well are to be coated, said telescoping members having cooperating radially disposed, spray discharge apertures adapted to come into and out of registry, said spray discharge apertures being `arranged all the way around said telescoping members, latching means carried by the telescoping members for securing them in discharging position, with said-spray discharge apertures in registry, and piston means, provided at its .lower portion with a friction device which slidably and frictionally engages the sides of the Well, for exerting a retarding force on the upper of said telescoping members, said piston being vertically slidable, with respect to said lower telescoping member, and also being engageable with said latching means for holding the same in inoperative position Aduringl the lowering of the apparatus into the well and means for latching said piston in its lowermost position, the said spray discharge apertures being of restricted diameter, whereby, as the apparatus is raised or lowered after the spray discharge apertures have been brought into registry and the spraying started, a substantial vertical expanse of the interior of the well can be completely coated with the cement cream, to form a vertically extending interior shell of solid cement.

l3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a pair of telescoping members forming a receptacle for the uent material with which the sides of the well are to be treated, said telescoping members having cooperating discharge apertures adapted to come into and out of registry, latching means carried by the telescoping members for securing them in discharging position, with said vdischarge apertures in registry, and piston means, provided at its lower portion with a friction device which slidably and frictionally engages the sides of the well, for exerting a retarding force on the upper of said telescoping members, said piston being vertically slidable with'respect to said lower telescoping member, said piston being provided with means engageable with said latching means when the piston is in its uppermost position, to render said latching means inoperative, and means for latching said piston in its lowermost position.

4. In a device of the character describedin combination, a pair of telescoping members forming a receptacle for the fluent material with which the sides ofthe wellare to be treated, said telescoping members having cooperating discharge apertures adapted to come into and out of registry, one of said telescoping members being provided with a. closure block, cooperating latching means, carried by said closure block and the other telescoping member, for latching the members in discharging position with said apertures in registry, piston means, provided at its lower portion with a friction device which slidably and frictionally engages the sides of the well, said piston means being engageable with said closure block and with the latching devices carried thereby, and being itself provided with means for latching it in its lowermost position.

EARL RUSSELL CAMERON, ySR. 

